Improvement in car-couplings



J. LAHMfiYER. Oar-Coupling.

No. 207,663. Patented Sep't. 3.1878

I ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LAHMEYER, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,663, dated September 3, 1878; application filed August 9, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN LAHMEYER, of Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to provide an improved self-coupler for cars, and by which the link may be held in position for entering the draw-head of the next car, thus precluding the necessity and danger of introducing the link by hand, as heretofore done in coupling.

The invention consists in the combination, with the draw-head of a car, of a pivoted stationary inclined block and a superjacent sliding block, the latter being provided with a flange which supports the pin before coupling, and the lower pivoted block having a downward-projecting handle or lever notched to receive and hold the link in position for entering the draw-head of the approaching car, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section, on the line was of Fig. 2, of the draw-heads of two cars provided with my improvements, all the parts being in position as when in the act of coupling. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken on the line 3 g of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the draw-head. B is the stationaryiuelined or beveled block, pivoted at 1), between the vertical inner sides of the draw-head A, and resting upon the bottom of the latter. 0 is an inclined block placed to slide upon the block B and provided with a stop, 0, projectin g down into an opening, I), in the lower block. Said stop 0, by contact at the end of the opening b, retains the block 0 in such position upon the block B that the horizontal flange or projection 0 formed upon the forward end of the block 0 will be directly beneath the hole for the coupling-pin E,'and support the same in the raised position ready for coupling.

D is a lever or handle projecting from the under side of the block B through a slot, to, in the bottom of the draw-head A, and provided on its front side immediately underneath the under side of the forward end of the block B with a notch, (1, suitable to receive the end of the link F.

In order to connect two cars together the block B is raised by the handle D sufficiently to insert the end of the link F in the notch d, where it is held in a horizontal position by the combined weight of the blocks B and (J, as shown at the right in Fig. 1, and is thus .ready to enter the draw-head of the approachin g car, on entering which it pushes the block O, at the left in Fig. 1, up the incline of the block B, and thus removes the supportingflange c from under the pin E previously raised, allowing the latter to drop by its own weight into the opening in the link E, thereby coupling the cars together.

The flange 0 should projectfrom the block 0 far enough to cover the thickness of the iron at the end of the link, so as to insure the falling of the pin E into the opening of the link F without striking the iron of the latter.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The pivoted stationary inclined block B, having the notched handle D, and the superjacent sliding block 0, provided with the flange c and stop 0, in combination with each other and with the draw-head A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN LAHMEYER.

Witnesses:

HENRY H. BossLnn, GHARLEs LOHMEYER. 

